Both groups competed this last Friday in the San Joaquin Valley Color Guard and Percussion Review Championships at Clovis North High School which saw the best Middle School guard and percussion groups battle it out one last time this season. This circuit is derived of schools from Kings, Tulare, Kern, Fresno, Madera, and Merced counties competing is five competitions from January to March.

For the Winter Guard, under the direction of Jennifer Cadiente, this was actually a three-peat in the Open Class division for them. They scored the highest score of the season and took home the Stanley Knaub Perpetual Award. “They never stop working and always are seeking to get better,” said Cadiente, who is finishing her fifth season as caption head of the group. Student Captains Denise Dempsey and Reese Herron, who both were in last years championships group, were smiling ear to ear. “We are so proud of this group,” they both said.

Liberty’s Winter Percussion group was behind in the scores all season before making a championships charge to take the A Class crown. “The time and practice we have put in has really paid off,” said eighth grade snare drummer Madison Steffen. “We have really been focused these last two weeks.” The group only won by a margin of .7 points over Los Banos Middle School.

Under the direction of Band Directors, Chris Morshead and Andrew Munoz, both groups have seen great accomplishments and huge interest from students at the school. The guard consists of 19 seventh and eighth grade boys and girls from Liberty and the percussion consists of 36. The students practice 6-8 hours after school every week starting in November. Morshead said the groups keep growing larger and the difficulty level gets raised every year. Morshead and former band director, Marcus Zellous, started Liberty’s guard and percussion programs when they were hired in the Lemoore Union Elementary District back in 2006. “The winter activity is quickly growing in popularity across the country. It’s not only getting a large number of students involved in an after school activity, but its teaching them discipline, team work, accountability and responsibility,” said Morshead.

 Liberty Middle School is part of the Lemoore Union Elementary School District. The district music program is hugely supported with band starting in the 5th grade at the four elementary schools and three bands and a choir at the middle school. The music department has over 300 participating students.